Introspection and Self-Awareness Theory
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Questions and Answers

What is one potential benefit of upward social comparison?

  • It offers inspiration for self-improvement. (correct)
  • It promotes social isolation.
  • It leads to feelings of jealousy.
  • It can decrease self-esteem.

Which motivation is primarily associated with an individual's desire to assess their own performance?

  • Self-enhancement
  • Altruism
  • Self-evaluation (correct)
  • Self-destruction

According to the Self-Evaluation Maintenance Theory, how do people typically react when a friend outperforms them in an important area?

  • They avoid social comparison altogether.
  • They become more supportive.
  • They celebrate their friend's success.
  • They reduce closeness to the friend. (correct)

How can cultural influences shape motivations for social comparison?

<p>They can determine the focus on self-enhancement or self-improvement. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following motivations is least likely to lead to a positive outcome in social comparison?

<p>Self-destruction (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What strategy might a person use to cope with feelings of threat from a friend's success?

<p>Sabotage the friend’s performance. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Downward comparisons are most likely made by which group of individuals?

<p>Individuals with low self-esteem. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary reason individuals engage in upward social comparison?

<p>To inspire themselves towards self-improvement (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a common effect of social comparison?

<p>Increased feelings of adequacy. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to Social Comparison Theory, when are individuals most likely to compare themselves to others?

<p>When they care about their performance in a specific area (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How can downward social comparisons positively impact individuals?

<p>By leading to higher self-esteem and feelings of gratitude (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of social comparison is characterized by evaluating oneself against peers with similar abilities?

<p>Lateral comparison (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the main motivation behind self-evaluation in social comparison?

<p>To identify areas for self-improvement (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following can be a negative effect of upward social comparison?

<p>Feelings of inadequacy and envy (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which question in Social Comparison Theory addresses the impact of comparisons on individuals?

<p>What is the impact of social comparison? (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes self-enhancement in the context of social comparison?

<p>Feeling better about oneself through comparisons (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential negative effect of high self-awareness according to Self-Awareness Theory?

<p>Heightened feelings of inadequacy or guilt (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is a limitation of introspection as noted in the study by Csikszentmihalyi & Figurski?

<p>It may involve biased participation (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Self-Perception Theory, how do individuals determine their attitudes and feelings?

<p>By observing their behavior and the context (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which study demonstrated that high self-awareness can reduce cheating behavior?

<p>Diener &amp; Wallbom (1976) (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What typically characterizes positive self-awareness according to the Self-Awareness Theory?

<p>Temporary improvement as standards are raised (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which type of social comparison can lead to motivation to improve oneself?

<p>Upward social comparison (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What might be a common misconception about self-reflection based on the provided content?

<p>It is rarely engaged in by people (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How can observing one's own behavior influence emotional interpretation according to Self-Perception Theory?

<p>It clarifies feelings through behavioral observation (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Social Comparison

Evaluating oneself by comparing with others.

Upward Social Comparison

Comparing oneself to someone perceived as better.

Downward Social Comparison

Comparing oneself to someone perceived as worse.

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Theory (SEM)

Threat of others' success when they're similar to or important to you.

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Self-enhancement

Motivated to feel better about ourselves.

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Self-improvement

Motivated to grow and improve.

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Narcissism

A personality trait characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and excessive need for admiration.

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Cultural Influence on Social Comparison

Culture affects how people compare themselves to others.

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Nisbett & Wilson (1977)

A study demonstrating that people are often unaware of the true reasons for their thoughts and behaviors. Participants were unaware of their reasons for selecting pantyhose or rating a teacher's warmth.

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Dutton & Aron (1974)

A study demonstrating how physiological arousal can be misinterpreted based on context. Participants who crossed a high, shaky bridge misattributed their feelings of fear as sexual attraction.

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Upward Comparison

Comparing ourselves to people doing better than us.

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Downward Comparison

Comparing ourselves to people doing worse than us.

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Lateral Comparison

Comparing ourselves to people at a similar level of ability.

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Self-Enhancement Theory

Motivation to feel better about ourselves through social comparison. We seek information that supports a positive self-image.

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Social Comparison Impact

Social comparison can have both positive and negative effects. Upward comparison can inspire, while downward comparison can offer gratitude. However, upward comparison can also lead to envy and inferiority.

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Introspection

The process of examining one's own thoughts, feelings, and motivations.

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Csikszentmihalyi & Figurski (1982)

A study using pagers to track people's emotional states throughout the day, finding that thinking about oneself is associated with lower levels of positive emotions.

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Self-Awareness Theory

When we become aware of ourselves, we evaluate our behavior against our internal standards, leading to negative emotions if we don't meet them.

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Negative Self-Awareness

Feeling bad about not meeting your internal standards, leading to feelings of inadequacy or guilt.

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Diener & Wallbom (1976)

A study showing that people in front of a mirror were less likely to cheat, suggesting that self-awareness discourages dishonest behaviour.

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Self-Perception Theory

We infer our attitudes and feelings by observing our own behaviour and the situation, rather than relying on introspection.

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Anxiety vs. Excitement

The same physical response (e.g., increased heart rate) can be interpreted as anxiety or excitement depending on the situation.

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Sohn et al. (2019)

A study showing that people seeing their face on video were less likely to engage in abusive behaviour, demonstrating how self-awareness can discourage harmful actions.

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Study Notes

Introspection

  • Introspection is examining one's thoughts, feelings, and motives.
  • Deep self-reflection is uncommon.
  • Study (Csikszentmihalyi & Figurski, 1982): Participants reported lower positive emotions when thinking about themselves.
  • Voluntary activities (e.g., watching TV) were associated with negative self-affect.
  • Limitations: Methodology might attract specific participants, may not generalize, and participants might be reluctant to participate.

Self-Awareness Theory of Introspection

  • When self-aware, we compare our behavior to internal standards/values.
  • Negative self-affect (guilt) arises from not meeting standards.
  • Positive self-awareness occurs when exceeding standards (but the bar is raised).
  • Studies like Diener & Wallbom (1976) showed mirrors reduce cheating.
  • Sohn et al. (2019) found introspective visuals (e.g., video) reduced abusive behavior.

Observing Our Own Behavior (Self-Perception Theory)

  • People make inferences about their attitudes/feelings by observing behavior and context.
  • This theory contrasts with self-awareness, it's not about evaluating against internal standards; it's about inferring from observable action.

Social Comparison

  • Evaluating oneself in relation to others (behavior, ability, opinions, circumstances).
  • Types of comparisons:
    • Upward: Comparing to those better.
    • Downward: Comparing to those worse.
    • Lateral: Comparing to those similar.
  • Reasons for comparison:
    • Self-enhancement.
    • Self-evaluation.
    • Self-improvement.
    • Altruism.
  • Impact:
    • Positive (inspiration, motivation, gratitude).
    • Negative (envy, regret, inadequacy).

Motivations for Social Comparison

  • Self-enhancement (feeling better)
  • Self-destruction (confirming fears of decline)
  • Self-evaluation (assessing performance)
  • Self-improvement (promoting growth)
  • Altruism (helping others)
  • Common bond (connecting with others)
  • Cultural differences in comparison motivations.

Self-Evaluation Maintenance Theory (SEM)

  • Threat arises when others outperform in valued areas—especially if closeness exists.
  • Coping strategies include reducing closeness, disinterest in the area, or sabotaging their performance.
  • Tesser and Smith (1980) study: participants gave others more difficult clues to support self-esteem.
  • Nicholls and Stukas (2011) highlights competitive aspects of narcissism and comparison strategies.

Cultural Influences

  • Upward comparisons offer hope/inspiration.
  • Downward comparisons promote gratitude.
  • Culture impacts motivations and comparison strategies.
  • Johnson (2012) suggested that upward comparisons can motivate improvement or negatively impact.
  • Gerber et al. (2018) studied that upward/downward comparisons impact emotions (hope/gratitude/envy),.

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Week 4 Exam Notes: Introspection, Self-Awareness, and Social Comparison PDF

Description

This quiz explores the concepts of introspection, self-awareness, and self-perception theories based on psychological research. Delve into how thoughts and behaviors are influenced by self-reflection and the effects of self-awareness on emotions and actions. Test your understanding of key studies and theories in modern psychology.

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